Most news outlets have a social media or digital desk, and they’re always looking for great content to publish. Turn a news release into a short video or infographic – or grab the reporter’s attention with a corresponding GIF. News outlets are more likely to publish high-quality content on their social media platforms, and the results are often even greater than TV or newspaper (earned media) coverage. Think about it: Social media coverage has the potential of reaching thousands and even millions of people. Your local TV station’s 6 p.m. segment might not.

CNN has social producers who oversee and create content for its social media accounts. ABC News has social media editors who design videos and graphics that engage its followers. HGTV has social media managers who create and control its brand’s content. Why aren’t you pitching these people? Why aren’t you delivering ready-to-publish, attractive, and appealing content to the contacts that control what their target audience consumes?

Here are three tools we recommend to create the content you’ll pitch (or the content to accompany your pitch), instead of an unoriginal news release.

Videos

What performs best on social? Video. According to Inc.com, YouTube videos receive more than 5 billion views each day; around 500 million people watch Facebook videos every day; 82 percent of Twitter's audience watches video content; and Snapchat generates 10 billion video views every single day. While content might be king, video is the king of content.

We recommend Animoto and *Promo to help create videos. Animoto is a cloud-based service that produces video slideshows from photos and video clips, incorporating music and graphics. Promo is different in that it offers premium footage you use to create promotional videos. Think slideshow (Animoto) versus b-roll (Promo).

*Use the Promo link above for access to the friends and family discount code: 10 percent off for 3 months.

Infographics

According to HubSpot, people like and share infographics on social media three times more than any other type of content. So, consider turning your news release into an infographic to grab the attention of the social media desk and increase reach. Use sites like Canva or Venngage to create your infographics.

GIFs

Whether you’re creating content for an outlet’s audience or trying to grab a journalist’s attention, GIFs are something fun to consider. GIPHY offers fair use GIFs – just remember, not all GIFs you find on the internet are legal. Consider creating your own.

Don’t know how to create a GIF? Hootsuite offers a great how-to article that explains what a GIF is, how to create one, and even how to pronounce it. (This is a huge internet debate. Let us know how you think it’s pronounced in our Facebook poll.)

When creating content to pitch, remember to aim to help the outlet’s readers, your target audience. What’s in it for them when they watch your video, read your infographic, or view your GIF? Interested in other ways to engage reporters and journalists? Download Axia Public Relations’ complimentary e-book “Learn Media Relations from the Media” or read 6 ways to engage journalists on social media today.

Becca McClure is a passionate public relations professional who works on various client social media accounts and public relations campaigns. Clients love her infectious positive attitude and her strong work ethic. Becca joined the Axia Public Relations team in February 2016. Learn more about Becca McClure.